From Beijing to Brussels - An Unfinished Journey (February 2010)

Posted on 3 February 2010 |

The global movement for women’s rights in 2010 marks 15 years of activism on the basis of
the shared framework and vision enshrined in the groundbreaking Beijing Platform for Action
(BPfA). In Europe, this year also represents a milestone for thousands of women’s
associations from across the region as it marks 20 years since the foundation of the European
Women’s Lobby (EWL). Over the last two decades, the EWL has acted as a forum for increased
exchange, cooperation and integration, allowing the women’s organisations of Europe to play
an active role in shaping the European framework for gender equality. As a key part of its
activism, the EWL aims to ensure that the implementation of the BPfA by both the European
Union (EU) and its Member States remains high on the political agenda.

EWL Beijing 15 Report 2010

The EWL has been instrumental in both the elaboration and implementation of the BPfA from
the beginning. The EWL was an active participant in the United Nations’ (UN) Beijing Conference
on Women in 1995 and has been present at all of the follow-up meetings that have taken place
since. This publication represents the third Alternative Report that the EWL has produced,
following our earlier Beijing+5 and Beijing+10 reports. In line with its mission and political
focus, the EWL examines in this report the progress made at EU level towards the full
implementation of the BPfA. Across each of the 12 critical areas of concern identified in Beijing,
the report offers a comparative analysis of the developments achieved over the
previous five years, highlighting the current situation across the Union. Consideration of both
the legislative and other initiatives that the EU has undertaken over the reporting period allows
for the identification of critical gaps and the formulation of concrete recommendations addressed
both to the EU Institutions and to the 27 Member States.